While Lake Placid frequently hosts visitors from around the world, those arriving for the January 2023 FISU Winter World University Games will be welcomed by smiling faces standing next to colorful carts featuring a positive message throughout the village and in nearby Saranac Lake. Volunteers positioned at literature carts of Jehovah’s Witnesses will be offering free Bible-based literature in languages common to the elite global athletes, such as Ukrainian, Russian, Korean and French.

Athletes and spectators traveling to various events will notice mobile carts displaying messages of peace and hope as well asjw.org, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses offering free content in over 1,000 languages, at multiple locations throughout the day during the University Games.

Isaiah McClain, 23, of Saranac Lake, will volunteer his time at the mobile carts during the January University Games. “I’m very excited to participate,” he said. “We’ll have carts with many languages because we care about everyone coming from all over the world, as well as from our local area.”

McClain plans to learn greetings in a few different languages. “We want to offer a hope for everyone,” he said.

Mobile displays of Bible-based literature have been part of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ public ministry in the U.S. since 2011. While “cart witnessing” began in large metropolitan areas around the world, the practice quickly spread to the tens of thousands of smaller communities, becoming a fixture in rail and bus stations, airports, harbors and main streets. It is now a regular part of the Witnesses’ global ministry.

After pausing their public ministry during the pandemic, Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Lake Placid area are also eager to reconnect with their neighbors at the special event face to face.

“After months of preparation and organizing hundreds of volunteers, we are looking forward to sharing a unifying message of peace,” said Moises Porcayo, a local spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses in New York.

McClain hopes the dedicated effort to volunteer in cold temperatures will benefit others. “Just as athletes have a love for their sports and countries, we have a love for God and our community,” he said. “We want people to know the Bible has a message of hope and peace.”

To learn more about Jehovah’s Witnesses, their history, beliefs and activities, visit their official website jw.org.